Before you install jumpers on brick walls, you need to understand some important nuances. Firstly, what is a partition and is it necessary to use it in construction at all?

A lintel is a structural element that lies above door and window openings and carries the load of brick walls. If pressure acts on the masonry above the openings, then reinforced concrete partitions should be used.

When there is no impact or the load on the bricks is outside the opening, it is permissible to use non-bearing reinforced concrete or brick structures, required condition- the use of high-quality mortar and reinforcement between rows of bricks.

Jumper

Convenient to use reinforced concrete lintels

How to choose the right lintels for brick walls, for what purposes should they be used? All partitions perform the following functions:

• are the main part;
• reinforce the structure of the floors: if the upper part of the openings is not strengthened, then the wall will collapse, as it will not be able to hold the load;
• create the basis for further laying rows.

For lintels, materials with high strength indicators are used, they are often made from the same raw materials as the street wall, but sometimes the raw materials of the blanks differ in all available indicators.

Regardless of the type of material, it should maximize the opening, as well as redistribute the force of gravity above itself. Before choosing the necessary lintels for brick walls, you should consider the types.

They are made from 4 main materials:

• brick;
• reinforced concrete;
• metal;
• wooden beams.

If you want to expand the size of the opening, then you should take care of the correct location of the partition above it. Expanding the height up will not work, only if you remove the rows from the bottom. When changing the opening in width, it is necessary to lengthen the reinforcement beams, taking into account the indicator of the minimum lintels per brick wall.

Brick partition

When assembling a brick lintel, pipe supports are used

The formwork will be held directly on the masonry; when it is dismantled, the protruding stones are cut off. If the width of the opening is more than 1.5 m, then the box rests on wooden circles mounted on the edge. In addition to the wooden formwork structure, pipe supports are also used, such a structure is quite easy to assemble.

To do this, take a couple of pieces of a pipe with a diameter of 5 cm and fix it in a large one with a diameter of 6 cm, during the installation of a brick partition, the structure is moved apart in different directions so that the ends of the smaller pipes enter the masonry itself. At least two circles should be installed for each opening, then the masonry of arched or wedge-shaped partitions with seams in the form of wedges is made of red brick.

First lay out the support heel

Masonry partitions made of bricks: a - front view, b - section of the partition, c - lintel on the formwork made of wood, d - construction on the circles of pipes; 1 - armature, 2 - board, 3 - circled from the board, 4 - circled Ogarkov.

The thickness of the seams should be up to 25 mm at the top, and about 5-7 mm at the bottom. Before laying the jumpers in the opening, it is important to build walls around the entire perimeter to their level. Initially, it is worth laying out the supporting brick heel, only after that to install the partition itself.

Before mounting the support plane, the necessary template should be prepared, then the masonry is carried out in transverse rows on the formwork. It is important to produce it so that their number horizontally is odd. The central row of bricks is considered a castle row, it is located strictly in a vertical position.

The laying of wedge or beam partitions is carried out in such a way that on each side from the heel to the central lock the row ends with a central brick, then the correct location of the seams is checked with a rope, it is fixed in the places of the supporting parts on the brick wall.

If the width of the opening is more than 2 m, then it is forbidden to lay the wedge-shaped lintel, as they may collapse.

Rows of partitions are laid perpendicular to the direction of the acting force

Installation of arched partitions is carried out in the same sequence as wedge-shaped ones. The seams of the bricks should be placed perpendicular to the masonry frame with a thickness of 25 mm on top and 5 mm on the bottom.

The load during the construction of arches acts tangentially, so the rows should be laid perpendicular to the direction of the acting force, and the masonry joints should be tightly filled with cement. To increase the reliability of the arches, its surface must be plastered, the thickness of the layer must be at least a quarter of the thickness of the brick.

The correct arrangement of the seams is checked with a rope, and the arrangement of the rows is checked according to the template. Assembling a wooden box for arches should be so that after laying all the bricks, it can be easily loosened, lowered and disassembled. Wedges are installed under the circles, with the help of which the formwork is raised or lowered.

After installing the brick arch, it must be kept in the formwork. The exact setting time of the mortar depends on the brand of cement.

Ready-made jumpers save time

The installation of reinforced concrete partitions is intended for use in a load-bearing wall. You should first make a calculation, and already on it, a jumper is selected in brick walls. Often, builders do not purchase finished products, but make preparations on the spot, since the cost of the assembled goods is much higher than that of home-made ones.

They install the formwork from the boards, lay reinforcement in it and fill it with ready-made concrete mortar. The device of the jumper in brick walls most often depends on the product itself, the geometry of the opening and the pressure on the walls. If there is neither time nor opportunity to make the part yourself, then ready-made partitions are installed. For more information about the types of jumpers, see this video:

For their reliable retention, it is required to additionally lay a reinforcing belt only at the border of contact between reinforced concrete and the bearing wall.

During installation reinforced concrete structures it is important to follow the recommended rules for their installation. How to choose the right lintels for brick walls? They should completely cover the entire opening, as well as a minimum of 25 cm on each edge.

Most often, standard direct blanks are used in construction, but if you wish, you can make a jumper of any shape, you just need to pre-make a template. It will be much more reliable to use a reinforced concrete semicircular variety instead of a wedge-shaped brick one, it can also be used on openings with a width of more than 2 m.

metal

Before choosing a beam, make calculations for the deflection

Metal elements are used to strengthen the holes in. Partitions are made of iron angle, the material of which has high strength and is able to cope with high pressure on the surface.

How to choose the right lintels for brick walls? Before selecting metal corners, a calculation should be performed to prevent deflection of the partition above the established norms, then it is required to determine the strength of the selected iron elements.

For the installation of an iron profile in the opening, the part is adjusted to the seams between the bricks of the masonry, there is no need to strengthen the edges with additional docking reinforcement. For more information on how to make a jumper, see this video:

In order for the corner to be firmly held and cope with the load, it is important to put at least 15 cm on each side.

Prefabricated iron partitions are used for all types of structures. Gain calculation is not required before installation.

Wooden ceilings

Wooden lintels are short-lived but cheap

Such structures are very often used in the construction of private brick houses.

The disadvantages of wooden products include: low durability, inability to cope with high loads, rotting of the material.

The minimum support of wooden lintels on the walls must be at least 15 cm on each side. The installation of partitions from this material is currently carried out only in frame houses.

Before calculating the support of jumpers on a brick wall, you should find out a few important points. What is a jumper? This is the part of the wall that covers the door and window openings and holds the masonry over the openings. When the gravity of the ceiling falls directly on the wall above the window and door openings, precast load-bearing reinforced concrete elements are used. If there is no load on the walls, and the width of the openings does not exceed 2 m, use non-bearing reinforced concrete or ordinary brickwork using mortars of increased strength, laying reinforcing bars to support the bottom row of bricks. It happens that instead of ordinary jumpers, wedge-shaped ones are made, which also serve as a decoration for the facade. For the same purpose, arched lintels are erected in 4 meter spans. This type of masonry is used to organize floors in buildings with vaults. In this case, all transverse and longitudinal seams must be filled during the laying of the lintels.

Lintels are designed to block door and window openings in the brick walls of buildings for various purposes.

If the vertical seams are not sufficiently filled, then the loads will first shift the individual bricks, and then the destruction of the masonry. Be sure to observe the horizontal rows of ordinary jumpers, the rules for dressing masonry from a whole brick. In masonry, a solution of at least 25 grades is used. The height of an ordinary jumper should be about 5 rows of masonry, and the length should exceed the width of the opening itself by 50 cm. The laying of lintels is done using formwork from boards 40-50 mm thick. Spread the mortar over the formwork about 2 cm thick. Reinforcement bars are then embedded in the solution. The layer goes under the first row of bricks of ordinary lintels. The lintels are reinforced with rods 6 mm in diameter made of round steel. The calculation of the number of the rod is simple, it is placed one for every half-brick, but for the entire lintel at least 3. In the lintel, the reinforcement works in tension, it perceives tensile forces from the masonry. The ends of the rods are released 25 cm beyond the edges of the opening, ending with a hook.

Brick lintel

The formwork is supported on bricks released from the masonry. After removing the formwork, the bricks are cut down. If the width of the opening exceeds 1.5 m, the formwork rests on a circle of boards, which are placed on the edge. It happens that, in addition to plank formwork, they use tubular inventory support-circles designed by Ogarkov. Such a support structure is very simple to manufacture. To do this, 2 cut pipes 48 mm in diameter are made and inserted into a pipe cut with a diameter of 60 mm. During masonry, they circled the pipes apart in such a way that the ends of a smaller diameter went inside the grooves that were left in the masonry. 2 circles are placed on each opening and are used if window and door blocks are inserted in the openings. When using other types of circles, window and door blocks are inserted after the circles are removed. Wedge-shaped and arched lintels with wedge-shaped seams are laid out of ordinary clay bricks, the thickness of which is 25 mm at the top of the lintel, and about 5 mm at the bottom.

Masonry of ordinary lintels: a - facade of the lintel, b - section of the lintel, c - laying of the lintel on the plank formwork, d - laying of the lintel on inventory tubular circles; 1 - reinforcing bars, 2 - boards, 3 - wooden circles, 4 - Ogarkov's tubular circles.

Of course, at first the walls are erected to the level of the lintels, while the supporting heel is laid out of brick, hewn before the laying of the lintels is arranged. The direction of the reference plane is determined using a template, that is, the angle of deviation from the plane along the vertical. According to the prepared formwork, which is held by the circles, masonry is carried out in transverse rows. The calculation of masonry rows on the formwork is marked in such a way that their number, taking into account the thickness of the seam, is odd. In this case, the rows of masonry are considered horizontally. The odd row of bricks in the center is called the castle, and it is clearly in a vertical position in the center of the lintel. Laying arched and wedge-shaped lintels on both sides evenly from the heel to the lock so that it is wedged in the lock with an odd central brick. Using a lace, check the correct direction of the seams. At the point of mating lines of intersection of the supporting parts, a lace is attached. Wedge-shaped lintels cannot be laid if the span exceeds 2 m.

Arched lintels, vaults

Scheme of bricklaying of arches and vaults (arched lintels).

Arched lintels, vaults and arches are laid in the same sequence as wedge-shaped ones. The seams formed by the masonry between the rows should be perpendicular to the masonry of the outer and lower surfaces of the arch. The seams form a wedge shape with expansion upwards and narrowing below. In vaults and arches, the force from the load to the curve of the arch acts tangentially. Beds of rows lie perpendicular to the direction of pressure. With this arrangement of rows, this is the first rule for cutting brickwork. The masonry in the seams is tightly filled with mortar. In the process of doing work from above, the surface of the vaults is rubbed with a mortar 1/4 brick thick. The correctness of the seams and laying of the rows is checked with a cord, which is fixed in the center of the arch. The position of each row is checked with a square template and cord. The design of the formwork for laying arches and vaults must ensure its uniform lowering when stripping. They put wedges under the circles, if they are loosened, the formwork drops. Keeping arched and wedge-shaped lintels in the formwork in time depends on the brand of mortar and air temperature.

Reinforced concrete lintels

Prefabricated reinforced concrete products (RCP) used in construction are produced at specialized factories and mounted directly at construction sites.

During the construction of houses, prefabricated reinforced concrete lintels are used to cover door and window openings.

Prefabricated reinforced concrete lintels are distinguished by types: bar, beam with a quarter for support (PG), slabs with a width of more than 250 mm (PP) and facade (PF).

Reinforced concrete products are made for openings using reinforcing embedded products 0.4-0.6 cm and heavy concrete mix M 250. Structurally, jumpers are distinguished as bearing and non-bearing. Bearings are considered to be those that carry the load of the floor in addition to the mass of the masonry above it. Non-bearing ones include those that carry the load of their own weight and those masonry sections that are located above them.

By type, they distinguish: bar up to 250 mm wide (PB), beams with a quarter for support (PG), slabs with a width of more than 250 mm (PP) and facade (PF), which are designed to cover openings with quarters with the thickness and width of the part protruding in the opening masonry over 250 mm. Using a level, check the supports and installation sites before installation and spread the solution.

Leaning on a brick wall should be at least 250 mm deep, on partitions - at least 200 mm. Non-load-bearing elements with a two-meter span can also be laid by hand, while heavy load-bearing elements are slinged by mounting loops and installed by crane. Laying is checked by level. They are assembled from several elements to cover the entire width of the masonry opening, the side parts of the lintels enter the plane of the brick wall without protrusions. During installation, jumpers should only be laid in a certain position. The bearing capacity may vary depending on the location of the reinforcement and the quantity.

Metal jumper device

The advantage of prefabricated jumpers is the speed of installation, ease of selection and reliability.

When it is not possible to install prefabricated jumpers, you can mount metal ones. Brickwork perfectly holds its own weight after the mortar has gained strength. Of course, this is the case if there is no overlap load and a moderate window width. But until the mortar has hardened and gained strength, the brickwork above the opening needs support. The advantage of prefabricated jumpers is the speed of installation, ease of selection and reliability. There is no need to do a calculation. But they, as we have already said, are produced only in the factory and are very heavy. For monolithic reinforced concrete, it is necessary to make a calculation, selection of height and reinforcement. It is made more difficult, using formwork. But installation can be done directly at the construction site. Well, you can install jumpers from metal rolled profiles, such as corners, channels or I-beams.

when selecting metal elements, it is necessary to make a calculation so that there is no more deflection of the jumper than the permissible one, and to determine the required strength of the selected metal elements. In this case, the calculation is made according to the following conditions:

• strength is determined by the formula,

Mp \u003d 1.12 * W * R,

where Mp - depends on the load and the length of the jumper, as well as the reliability factor;

W is the resistance of the metal element, which is taken from reference books. If the jumpers are made up of 2 corners or 2 channels, then the moment of resistance of the composite element is equal to the sum of each of the elements of the moments of resistance;

R is the resistance of steel.

• deflection is determined by the formula:

Mn * L / (10EI) \u003d 1/200,

where Mn is the standard moment, depending on the load and the length of the jumper;

L is the estimated length, which is equal to the sum of the clear width on the third of each side of the web of the support length;

I is the moment of inertia;

E is the modulus of elasticity of steel;

1/200 is the maximum allowable deflection.

Calculation for door and window openings

In order to fit a metal jumper, the load from the brickwork is calculated per 1 rm of the jumper.

Consider, for example, the selection of a jumper for a door, and then. Suppose that the opening of the proposed door in the wall has a thickness of 0.25 mm. The opening will not be supported by the ceiling. Above the lintel, the height of the masonry is 0.9 m, and the width of the opening is 1 m. We select a metal lintel. To do this, it is necessary to calculate the load from brickwork per 1 pm of the jumper, if specific gravity bricks 1.8 t/cu.m.

q \u003d 0.25 * 0.9 * 1.8 * 1 \u003d 0.41 t / m.

Now, according to the formula, we determine the moment М = qL2/8,

L is the estimated length;

200 - depth of support of the jumper. Mn = 0.065 t*m;

L \u003d 1000 + 2 * 200 / 3 \u003d 1130 mm;

Мр = 73 kN*cm.

Required moment of resistance according to the strength condition:

W \u003d 65 / (1.12 * 21) \u003d 2.76 cu. cm.

Moment of inertia:

I \u003d 200Mn * L / (10E) \u003d 7.85 cm4.

You need to use a jumper, which consists of 2 corners 50 * 50 * 5

W = 7.88 cu. cm > 0.5 * 2.76 cc cm, I \u003d 11.2 cm4\u003e 0.5 * 7.85 cm4.

Simplified calculation of a metal jumper

It will not be difficult for a person who has encountered resistance to materials to deal with such a calculation, but for the rest, these concepts can be complex and incomprehensible. The calculation of the cross section of metal jumpers for . The calculation consists of determining the load acting on the jumper; determining the maximum bending moment acting on the cross section of the jumper; selection of the cross section of the jumper.

We determine the load per 1 pm jumper by the formula:

q 1 \u003d p * b * h,

It is necessary to calculate the cross section of a metal lintel for a brick partition.

where p (kg / m3) is the density of the partition material, taking into account masonry mortar and plaster mortar. Density cement mortar- up to 2200, which must be taken into account when laying from hollow bricks, you can multiply the density of the material by 1.1. The density of a solid brick is 1600 - 1900; the density of a hollow brick is 1000 - 1450.

b (m) - wall thickness. For example, a half-brick brick partition will be 15 cm.

h - the height above the lintel of the brick wall, taking into account the bricks that will be laid on the corner in the case of a lintel from the corners.

For a meter-wide opening for a brick partition half a brick thick, the load will be q 1 = 142.5 kg / m.

In this case, we carried out the calculation for the partition. For load-bearing walls, it is also necessary to take into account the load from the floor.

Required modulus and design load

Let's use the following formula:

where n is the number of metal profiles;

The density of the cement mortar is up to 2200, you can multiply the density of the material by 1.1.

P - own weight per 1 pm of the profile, determined by the assortment. As a rule, for metal lintels, the weight does not exceed 1-2% of the total weight of the wall above the lintel, so it can be calculated as a correction factor of 1.1.

Thus, for a meter-long opening of a brick partition half a brick thick, the total design load is equal to: q = 157 kg / m.

Now the selection of the required section. For a beam resting on 2 supports, the maximum bending moment will be at the middle of the beam:

M max \u003d (q * 1 sq.m) / 8 \u003d 19.6 kg / m

For a one-meter opening half a brick wide, the required moment of resistance will be:

W required \u003d M max / R y \u003d 0.933 cu. cm,

where R y is the design resistance of steel equal to 2100 kgf / sq. cm

The resulting value is divided by the number of profiles that we will use when arranging the jumper. It is more rational to use at least 2 profiles for brick partitions. Wreq = 0.47 cc Next, in the assortment, select the type of profile and find a value greater than in the calculation. For a meter wide opening for a brick partition half a brick thick, 2 equal-shelf corners 28 * 28 * 3 mm are enough. The support of metal lintels on the walls must be at least 250 mm.

Calculation of jumpers for load-bearing brick walls

The calculation of the lintel for load-bearing walls is almost the same as the previous calculation, only you need to determine the load on the lintel and choose the correct calculation scheme. If the lintel is a load-bearing beam above the opening, it can be calculated as a beam on hinged supports.

b - in this case it will be 2 bricks, that is, 0.51 - 0.55 m.

Calculation of the cross section of a metal lintel for a brick load-bearing wall.

h - masonry above the jumper, which will carry the load, can be defined as h \u003d L / 2. So, for a one and a half meter opening with a length and width of 2 bricks, the load will be 755.3 kg / m. Floor slabs weigh a lot. You can take their weight in the range of 800-1000 kg / sq.m. Hollow core slabs weigh approximately 320 kg/sq.m. In addition, 100 kg/sq.m. will be provided with insulation and screed. So, with 6 m hollow core slabs, the load will be 2400 kg/m. The linear design load will be 3167 kg/m. The maximum bending moment for a web, which is affected by a distributed and concentrated load, is calculated by the formula:

M max \u003d (q * l 2) / 8 + (Q * l) / 4 \u003d 1133.7 kg / m

Required drag moment: Wreq = (1133.7 * 100) / (2100 * 2) = 27.0 cc

You can make a jumper from hot-rolled steel corners, unequal or equal-shelf, shaped pipes. For an opening 1.5 m long and 2 bricks wide, 2 unequal corners 110 * 70 * 8 mm are enough. Instead of 2 required corners, you can use 4 90 * 56 * 5.5. The support of such a jumper on the walls must be at least 250 mm. Bending:

f = (5 * q * L 4) / (384 * E * I z), where

E - the modulus of elasticity is 2 * 10 10 kg / sq.m - for steel.

I z - moment of inertia, according to the assortment, according to the selected profile.

For a jumper of 2 corners f = (5 * 3167 * 1.5 4) / (384 * 2 * 10 10 * 2 * 171.54 * 10 -8) = 0.003045 m. According to the requirements of "Load and Impact" SNiP 2.01.07-85, the maximum deflection for lintels must not exceed 1/200 of the span. According to our calculation, 150/200 = 0.75 cm. The condition is met.

Lintels, vaults, brick arches are today, rather, a tribute to the exterior design of the building. The device of wedge-shaped, arched lintels allows you to fit a modern building into the existing building of the past. Arches and vaults are an integral part of many types of stoves and fireplaces. The proposed technology of laying brick openings will help to perform the work efficiently.

Varieties of brick covering of openings

A lintel is a covering of a door or window opening. Reinforced concrete lintels have received the greatest application in construction. They can cover long spans and withstand heavy loads.

Brick lintels are used only for non-load-bearing walls, as they do not have sufficient strength for this. The width of the span in this case should not exceed 1.7 m.

1 - ordinary; 2 - wedge; 3 - bow; 4 - beam arched

Ordinary brick lintels are called ordinary. The brick in them is supported by reinforcement. As an architectural detail of the facades, wedge-shaped, arched, lancet, arched, semi-circular and box lintels are used.

1 - semicircular; 2 - lancet; 3 - box

Their variety is due to the shape of the opening, or rather, the outline of its upper part. According to the principle of an arched lintel, vaults are laid out, which are the overlap of buildings.

Before the invention of concrete (the end of the 19th century), the openings were covered with brick lintels. It was not only a tribute to beauty. The wedge-shaped and arched ceilings of the openings kept the load from the wall due to the thrust, which provided a fan arrangement of the bricks in the masonry.

In temple architecture, arches and vaults, as a way of covering openings and rooms, eventually became the canon of church architecture. Modern brick arched openings and vaulted ceilings are only an architectural solution.

The use of arched or wedge-shaped lintels is necessary in the reconstruction of buildings and structures of the 17th-19th centuries.

Stoves, fireplaces are still being built in almost every country house, where arched or wedge-shaped lintels and barrel vaults are often used in the construction of a pod or ward.

Ordinary jumpers

Ordinary jumpers are made according to the principle of ordinary brickwork. It is also carried out with dressing and ensuring the horizontal and vertical seams. Its difference from simple masonry is the observance of a special quality of work. It is necessary to carefully fill the joints to create a joint work of all the bricks of the opening overlap.

Ordinary lintels, unlike conventional masonry, not only compress under the weight of the overlying wall, but also bend without having support in the opening. The size of the brick lintel is taken from the calculation of its work in the opening for bending. The height is 5, 6 rows of masonry. In length, the size is considered to be the width of the opening plus 500 mm on each side of it.

Due to the special importance of the design of the overlap of any opening, the brick is selected for masonry, the brand of mortar is used at least 25. In an ordinary lintel, the brick rests on reinforcement, which is embedded in a layer of cement-sand mortar.

Reinforcement is assigned by calculation and depends on the magnitude of the load on the opening. With their small values, the reinforcement is installed structurally from round steel with a diameter of 4-6 mm. At the same time, its quantity is - one rod per half brick of the wall. The reinforcement should go into the masonry beyond the edge of the opening by at least 250 mm. Their ends are bent up around the brick.

1 - fittings; 2 - solution; 3 - formwork

For the device of an ordinary jumper, like any other, you will need a tool that is used for ordinary brickwork. To make a reinforced brick support, formwork must be installed. It can be made from boards with a thickness of 40-50 mm.

You can avoid the leakage of the solution and give the bottom of the jumper a more even look by laying any rolled waterproofing or a simple plastic film on the boards. It must be remembered that irregularities on the surface of the formwork will affect appearance the top of the opening.

A mortar layer is spread on the formwork, on which reinforcing bars are laid and sunk into it. Then a second layer of mortar is laid, which covers the reinforcement. It is important to observe the thickness of the protective layer for metal products. It is at least 3 cm.

During hardening, the mortar must gain the necessary strength so that further laying of the jumper can be carried out. The period of keeping it in the formwork is at least 12 days in summer, in autumn - at least 20 days. During the period of negative temperatures, it is necessary to comply with special measures developed for winter masonry.

To support the formwork, bricks are released from the masonry, which are subsequently cut down after gaining full strength with mortar and removing the boards. It is possible to arrange a furrow in the masonry and bring the formwork into it, after removing which a brick with a masonry joint is installed in this place.

1 - formwork; 2 - release of bricks

Large openings (wider than 1.5 m) require the installation of racks under the formwork. You can install the support boards under the flooring for rigidity on the edge.

Wedge jumpers

Wedge lintels do not require reinforced mortar support. The bearing capacity of such a jumper arises due to the thrust in the wedge-shaped brick installation.

Exists for the variant of the wedge-shaped jumper device:

• wedge-shaped vertical masonry seam;
• wedge-shaped brick.

In the case of a wedge-shaped seam, its thickness from below is assumed to be at least 5 mm, and from above - not more than 25 mm. If wedge brick is used, the seam in the masonry is made of the same thickness no more than 10 mm. Wedge lintels are installed using formwork with circles.

If a window or doorway is laid with quarters, then three circles will be required to build a wedge-shaped lintel. One is made shorter and installed at the level of the quarters, the other two are inside the opening. Formwork is laid on longer circles, which can be made from boards.

The wall is laid to the level of the upper part of the lintel with the heel (support) device. In this case, the angle of inclination of the edge of the jumper (bricks) relative to the vertical is immediately determined. Next, you need to mark all the rows on the formwork of the future floor. Their number must be odd. It is important when calculating the device of each row to take into account the thickness of the seam.

The central brick row is inserted vertically and is a lock. It creates compression at the bottom of the lintel and makes it possible to withstand the overlying load without reinforcement.

1 - lock; 2 - heel

They begin laying the wedge-shaped lintel from the heels to the middle from two sides, in order to eventually approach the central brick - the castle. You can maintain the exact direction of each seam by finding the point of intersection of the direction lines of both heels. A nail is driven into this place on the formwork and with the help of a rope tied to the nail, the line of each seam is determined.

Arched lintels, arches and vaults

The principle of the construction of arched ceilings of openings and vaults does not differ from the laying of wedge-shaped lintels. The shape of the arch can be arched, lancet, semicircular, box. Their difference lies in the choice of the center, the size of the segment and the radius of the circle.

In any case, the center line of the seam is perpendicular to the inner surface of the lintel or arch. A curved line is formed by a wedge-shaped seam or a wedge-shaped brick. In the case of an arched opening, the center line of the seam is a continuation of the radius of the curve.

Calculation of the arched lintel: 1 - onion arch; 2 - semicircular arch; h is the height of the arc; s is the width of the window or door opening; r is the radius of the arc

The thickness of the seams is taken, as in wedge-shaped jumpers:

• at least 5 mm - for the lower part of the vertical seam;
• maximum - 25 mm - for the upper part.

1 - lintel brick; 2 - wedge-shaped solution; 3 - castle brick; 4 - circled

The shape of the formwork is made in accordance with the chosen shape of the ceiling. Checking the radial direction of the seams and the correctness of the curvature of the arches is carried out with a rope tied to the center of the circle of each section of the jumper. You can make a template-gon for the desired shape of a semicircle or segment.

The arches are laid out according to the principle of an arched lintel. Vaults today are erected during construction public buildings, churches or temples. For their device, a continuous formwork of the required shape is made. Cylindrical vaults are often laid out in a "Christmas tree". Masonry is carried out simultaneously parallel to the axis of the vault and in rows at an angle of 45 °.

Wedges are placed under the formwork, which are gradually removed during stripping to ensure its uniform lowering. Fresh masonry is very sensitive to stress. You can not put containers with mortar on it or place bricks for masonry. This can lead to a distortion of the shape of the floor and a violation of the bonding of the brick with the mortar.

Vaults and arches of complex configuration require a highly qualified bricklayer, and it is better to entrust the work to a specialist. Having understood the intricacies of the technology of brick ceilings of openings, the construction of lintels and arches of a simple configuration will not be difficult.

Brick lintels, arches and vaults, which came from the past, will still decorate the facade of the house, fencing, small architectural forms, fireplaces and stoves, harmoniously fitting into the interior or exterior of almost any architectural style.